Numerous types of athletic games using shuttlecocks, also known as shuttles, birds or birdies, are known. The conventional badminton game uses a shuttlecock and at least a pair of racquets for striking a shuttlecock back and forth between players. There also are games similar to badminton where a shuttlecock is struck with the hand, between two or more players with or without a net.
There are two main types of shuttlecocks, those having a flared skirt made of feathers and those having a flared skirt made of plastic material. While often those made of plastic material are used in casual play, for serious badminton play feathered shuttlecocks are used.
Feather shuttlecocks have a cap usually made of cork. An inner skirt is comprised of the stems or quills of the feathers; an outer skirt is comprised of minor stems or the quill extensions that spread into the vanes. In general, the plurality of natural feathers is bound together piece by piece by adhesive glue and threads. In the best feather shuttlecocks, the flared skirts are made of goose or duck wing feathers that overlap in the outer skirt. The preferred shuttlecocks typically use approximately 16 feathers per shuttlecock.
The best shuttlecocks have the following desirable characteristics: the turnover is good; the shuttlecock is rigid; the shuttlecock rotates in flight; when struck severely, there is a resounding ‘crack’—a noise pleasing to the player; the inner skirt does not collapse and the shuttlecock decelerates rapidly. A well-known problem with shuttlecocks is the variation in the flight speed of the shuttlecock. This variation is the result of many factors including the inherent characteristics of the shuttlecock, the temperature at the court, the humidity level, altitude, and the amount of time the shuttlecock has been in use.
The performance of shuttlecock is further diminished due to the bleaching process to which the feathers of the shuttlecocks are subjected. This bleaching process reduces the natural moisture in the feathers produced by the uropygial glands of the bird. The uropygial glands secrete a natural oil referred to as preen oil. The reduction of these natural oils can result in the bird feathers becoming dry, brittle and susceptible to cracking.
In normal recreational play, a single shuttlecock will last between 30 minutes to an hour. Particularly among the more skilled players, after a shuttlecock has been used for between 5-10 minutes, the ‘speed’ of the shuttlecock increases beyond a level considered desirable. In competitive matches, a shuttlecock will typically be replaced approximately every 4 minutes. A game typically takes about 30 minutes to complete. Shuttlecocks are typically sold in packages of 6 or 12. Thus, in competitive match play, several packages of shuttlecocks can be used.
It would thus be desirable to provide for an improved shuttlecock whereby the likelihood of improved turnover, shuttlecock rigidity, flight rotation, a resounding ‘crack’, and the shuttlecock deceleration is provided. It would further be desirable to provide for an improved shuttlecock whereby the likelihood of variation in the flight speed of the shuttlecock is minimized.